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Nicki Styx #2
A Match Made in Hell
A brush with death and a brief trip to the hereafter left vintage clothing store owner Nicki Styx an unwilling ghoulfriend to the dead. She can see and hear spirits, and boy, do they want to be heard! Luckily, her new boyfriend, sexy doc Joe Bascombe, is there to help, especially when Nicki faces her latest ghost, a woman in pink sequins who holds the key to some family secrets.
Unfortunately for Nicki, it turns out that there are more skeletons in the family closet than she thought, including a twin sister and a mysterious house full of spirits and surprises. Things go from bad to worse when the devil himself shows up, determined to lure Nicki from Joe's side. Will she give in to temptation and sell her soul (or someone else's) for one incredible night?
Demons may be a ghoul's best friend, but with this particular hottie, it could be amatch made in hell!
Unfortunately for Nicki, it turns out that there are more skeletons in the family closet than she thought, including a twin sister and a mysterious house full of spirits and surprises. Things go from bad to worse when the devil himself shows up, determined to lure Nicki from Joe's side. Will she give in to temptation and sell her soul (or someone else's) for one incredible night?
Demons may be a ghoul's best friend, but with this particular hottie, it could be amatch made in hell!
373 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 24, 2008
36 people are currently reading
896 people want to read
About the author
Terri Garey
13 books414 followersA Southern girl with an overactive imagination, Terri Garey writes award-winning and critically-acclaimed urban fantasy. Her novels have been described as "smoldering" by Publishers Weekly, and "sultry and upbeat" by Library Journal. Even though she's a big scaredy-cat who can't watch horror movies or visit haunted houses, she loves moonlit graveyards, moss-covered headstones and the idea that life goes on even after it's over. You can visit her on the web, friend her on Facebook and occasionally find her on Twitter.
Represented by Spencerhill Associates, Ltd.
Represented by Spencerhill Associates, Ltd.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
June 12, 2020
This sequel to Dead Girls Are Easy is also a quick read with a pleasantly lively writing style, strong on dialogue among colorful personalities but even less clear than the first book in the narration of events--a weak point that has become weaker here. The narrator's confusion is part of the story, of course, but for the reader's sake many things could have been clarified by dialogue from other characters. Once again, an insightful editor could have made this a much better book!
The heart of the story is the evolving relationships among three main characters: (1) the first-person narrator Nicki Styx, who talks with ghosts since her near-death experience in book 1; (2) her boyfriend Joe the cardiologist, who brought her back to life in book 1; and (3) the twin sister Nicki never knew she had until chapter 1 of this book--Kelly, who's technically still Joe's wife. I'll pause briefly here so you can take all that in.
Sometimes it's fun to eavesdrop on their interactions, and clearly the most important challenge here is for Nicki and Kelly to get it together, but for some reason these two sisters, age 29, are stuck in the feelings, words, and actions of 13-year-olds who just aren't very bright. And we noted in book 1 that Joe is pretty slow on the uptake--here he's downright dense. Again and again, this reader is thinking, "But anyone with a grain of sense would..." Groan-worthy as so many of the scenes are, these characters do actually develop as they go along--I felt satisfaction at the end combined with puzzlement at twists that didn't make sense to me.
The story takes us from Atlanta to Savannah, nicely keeping everything inside the state of Georgia, as Nicki's reunion (of sorts at first) with her twin is part of a voyage of discovery of two more generations of her birth family, all of whom (it seems) possess a hereditary "knack" of communion with spirits of the departed. And that has made them targets for Satan, who shows up as "Sammy" (for Samael) to recruit the twins, or at least one of them, to harvest souls for him instead of leading them to the Light. Tricky devil that he is, he and his minions add enormously to the confusion that haunts the "most haunted house in Savannah," which the twins are slated to inherit. (Warning: twists ahead.)
The ghostly characters are colorful and highly entertaining, and all the characters except Satan and one of his nastier minions have an underlying quality of sincerity, even when they hold back information from each other. A lot of that information comes out in the final scenes, but at the end many of my questions were still unanswered.
The heart of the story is the evolving relationships among three main characters: (1) the first-person narrator Nicki Styx, who talks with ghosts since her near-death experience in book 1; (2) her boyfriend Joe the cardiologist, who brought her back to life in book 1; and (3) the twin sister Nicki never knew she had until chapter 1 of this book--Kelly, who's technically still Joe's wife. I'll pause briefly here so you can take all that in.
Sometimes it's fun to eavesdrop on their interactions, and clearly the most important challenge here is for Nicki and Kelly to get it together, but for some reason these two sisters, age 29, are stuck in the feelings, words, and actions of 13-year-olds who just aren't very bright. And we noted in book 1 that Joe is pretty slow on the uptake--here he's downright dense. Again and again, this reader is thinking, "But anyone with a grain of sense would..." Groan-worthy as so many of the scenes are, these characters do actually develop as they go along--I felt satisfaction at the end combined with puzzlement at twists that didn't make sense to me.
The story takes us from Atlanta to Savannah, nicely keeping everything inside the state of Georgia, as Nicki's reunion (of sorts at first) with her twin is part of a voyage of discovery of two more generations of her birth family, all of whom (it seems) possess a hereditary "knack" of communion with spirits of the departed. And that has made them targets for Satan, who shows up as "Sammy" (for Samael) to recruit the twins, or at least one of them, to harvest souls for him instead of leading them to the Light. Tricky devil that he is, he and his minions add enormously to the confusion that haunts the "most haunted house in Savannah," which the twins are slated to inherit. (Warning: twists ahead.)
The ghostly characters are colorful and highly entertaining, and all the characters except Satan and one of his nastier minions have an underlying quality of sincerity, even when they hold back information from each other. A lot of that information comes out in the final scenes, but at the end many of my questions were still unanswered.
February 17, 2017
Warning: Don't read the reviews. Except mine, if you want.
I always read the negative reviews before reading any book to prepare me for whatever issues I'll run across. The negative reviews are usually the honest reviews that get right down to the details as to why something is wrong.
This book doesn't have a whole lot of negative reviews about it. The two I found, I read, and one of them stuck with me. I kept thinking about the negative review that claimed "the sister is evil", so as I read the book, I kept trying to see WHERE Kelly was evil.
Damn negative review. There was no evil sister in here whatsoever.
Like the previous one, this story evolves around a girl who sees ghost, but now her twin sister is involved. Nikki, our main star, sees female ghosts--something we haven't actually realized until this book. Her sister Kelly sees the male ghosts. Their relationship is rocky, and there's over a dozen times I wanted to reach in and slap Kelly across the face in the bitchslap she needed. Trust me. It wasn't easy holding myself back, especially since this is a fictional character we're talking about here.
Finally, we get some information on the family, and that's pretty much the whole premises. Together, the two daughters are uncovering their own family history while Satan is trying to acquire their talents for his personal use. Evan and Butch return from the first novel, along with Joe, and I have to say I can understand Kelly's jealousy against Nikki. Kelly has no family, and no connections. Therefore she's easily manipulated into whatever trap the devil uses against her.
I will say that I'm happy the ending turned out the way it did. It's a bit twisted in a rather psychedelic manner. It's not gory or anything; just not what any of us had expected. I especially love how Kelly pretty much ended up with the same outcome Nikki had. Both girls have close relationships with someone in drag (Nikki's being outright gay), both drag's even have lovers, and both girls have boyfriends, albeit a little change here and there. It sort of fits the small difference between both girls in that one sees female ghosts while the other sees male.
The writing was equal to that of it's prequel. I did find a few mistakes in the writing, but I can't honestly tell you where they were. I just recall catching a few. For the most part, the writing was pretty well done.
I'm definitely saving these books for future reads.
I always read the negative reviews before reading any book to prepare me for whatever issues I'll run across. The negative reviews are usually the honest reviews that get right down to the details as to why something is wrong.
This book doesn't have a whole lot of negative reviews about it. The two I found, I read, and one of them stuck with me. I kept thinking about the negative review that claimed "the sister is evil", so as I read the book, I kept trying to see WHERE Kelly was evil.
Damn negative review. There was no evil sister in here whatsoever.
Like the previous one, this story evolves around a girl who sees ghost, but now her twin sister is involved. Nikki, our main star, sees female ghosts--something we haven't actually realized until this book. Her sister Kelly sees the male ghosts. Their relationship is rocky, and there's over a dozen times I wanted to reach in and slap Kelly across the face in the bitchslap she needed. Trust me. It wasn't easy holding myself back, especially since this is a fictional character we're talking about here.
Finally, we get some information on the family, and that's pretty much the whole premises. Together, the two daughters are uncovering their own family history while Satan is trying to acquire their talents for his personal use. Evan and Butch return from the first novel, along with Joe, and I have to say I can understand Kelly's jealousy against Nikki. Kelly has no family, and no connections. Therefore she's easily manipulated into whatever trap the devil uses against her.
I will say that I'm happy the ending turned out the way it did. It's a bit twisted in a rather psychedelic manner. It's not gory or anything; just not what any of us had expected. I especially love how Kelly pretty much ended up with the same outcome Nikki had. Both girls have close relationships with someone in drag (Nikki's being outright gay), both drag's even have lovers, and both girls have boyfriends, albeit a little change here and there. It sort of fits the small difference between both girls in that one sees female ghosts while the other sees male.
The writing was equal to that of it's prequel. I did find a few mistakes in the writing, but I can't honestly tell you where they were. I just recall catching a few. For the most part, the writing was pretty well done.
I'm definitely saving these books for future reads.
December 11, 2014
4.25
While I was sucked in from the beginning the ending got a tad cheesy. This series really appeals to me though. I love Nicki's snark, reminds me a bit of Rhiannon. Joe is pretty dang hawt for an ordinary human. Living in the south, I adore the southern setting and influence. I think if you're a fan of Rhiannon's Law you'd enjoy this. It's like the quirky, cheesy, and tame cousin to that series. I have no idea why I waited so long to pick up book 2 but I was able to jump right back in without missing a beat. And I can honestly say that I won't be waiting that long to read book 3!
While I was sucked in from the beginning the ending got a tad cheesy. This series really appeals to me though. I love Nicki's snark, reminds me a bit of Rhiannon. Joe is pretty dang hawt for an ordinary human. Living in the south, I adore the southern setting and influence. I think if you're a fan of Rhiannon's Law you'd enjoy this. It's like the quirky, cheesy, and tame cousin to that series. I have no idea why I waited so long to pick up book 2 but I was able to jump right back in without missing a beat. And I can honestly say that I won't be waiting that long to read book 3!
July 27, 2018
Book 2 in this series. Its a fun, quick read. Paranormal stuff, ghosts, good looking guys, and a weird twist at the end I didn't see coming.
I like Nicki, but I get exasperated because she has these spooky experiences but never tells her friends the story or only half the story so bad things keep happening because she shrugs off stuff she never should be shrugging off.
Minor complaint, I suppose. She's a bit too flippant for someone who sees dead people, but she's likable.
Moving on eventually to book 3!
I like Nicki, but I get exasperated because she has these spooky experiences but never tells her friends the story or only half the story so bad things keep happening because she shrugs off stuff she never should be shrugging off.
Minor complaint, I suppose. She's a bit too flippant for someone who sees dead people, but she's likable.
Moving on eventually to book 3!
September 12, 2008
I'm waffling between 3.5 and 4 stars for "A Match Made in Hell" by Teri Garey. It started with a whimper, got better, slowed down again, then ended with a bang. How in the heck do I rate that? I would also recommend reading the first book "Dead Girls Are Easy" before you start in on this one. You don't have to (of course), but I don't think I would have enjoyed this one as much without the back story provided in the earlier novel.
Nicki has some serious issues to deal with. As if coming back from the dead and being able to see dead people wasn't enough! Now she has a twin sister she never knew about (who is her current lover's not quite ex-wife), a dead mother giving her cryptic warnings, a haunted house inheritance, and oh...did I forget to mention one of her relatives apparently made a deal with the Devil? And now he seems to think Nicki would be perfect for him?
While I did enjoy the story, I wish the author would step more firmly into either the humor/campy side or the emotional/relationship side, because both of them in one story was very distracting for me. I'm pulling for the humor side (no surprise there), and I'll be looking for the next one in this series to try and get a better idea of where the author's going.
If you liked "Dead Girls Are Easy", then grab "A Match Made In Hell". Watching Nicki try to cope with everything happening to her is enough to keep you reading.
Nicki has some serious issues to deal with. As if coming back from the dead and being able to see dead people wasn't enough! Now she has a twin sister she never knew about (who is her current lover's not quite ex-wife), a dead mother giving her cryptic warnings, a haunted house inheritance, and oh...did I forget to mention one of her relatives apparently made a deal with the Devil? And now he seems to think Nicki would be perfect for him?
While I did enjoy the story, I wish the author would step more firmly into either the humor/campy side or the emotional/relationship side, because both of them in one story was very distracting for me. I'm pulling for the humor side (no surprise there), and I'll be looking for the next one in this series to try and get a better idea of where the author's going.
If you liked "Dead Girls Are Easy", then grab "A Match Made In Hell". Watching Nicki try to cope with everything happening to her is enough to keep you reading.
June 23, 2009
Terri Garey continues to prove her talent with this second Nicki Styx book. Yet again, the story is twisted and dark, yet appreciably lightened by Nicki's wry humour and never-ending sarcasm. The heroine's grounded and suspicious nature serves her well as she confronts the secrets of her past on a trip to haunted Savannah. Parts of her background are revealed, more ghosts pop up, Evan and Butch are still divine, and Joe remains in the picture to heat things up. Overall, quick and enjoyable with more than a few surprises.
July 25, 2010
I'm giving up on this series. Book one was slow going for me, and this one seems no better after 4 chapters, so I give up. It's just about to delve into long-lost evil twin territory (who also happens to be the almost ex-wife of the heroine's boyfriend), and I'm suppressing my instinct to vomit, so no more for me. This writer must be a soap opera fan. This series is heavy on fashionista name-dropping, which I dislike, and even though the writing is good, I just don't love the characters and the story.
The protagonist communicates with ghosts (after a near-death experience.)
The protagonist communicates with ghosts (after a near-death experience.)
October 3, 2021
Nicki Styx has a gift. She can see and hear spirits. Nicki determines it is her calling to help them into the Light. But when her previously unknown twin shows up and exhibits the same ability, it attracts the Devil himself. He wants Nicki, and if he can’t have her, he’ll corrupt Kelly, her twin sister, instead. Their biological mother, who died in a car accident while on her way to warn Nicki, appears in spirit to deliver a message. She lures Nicki and Kelly to Savannah where they learn about their past and fight over Joe, the handsome doctor both women want. Can Nicki resist the evil demon targeting her while keeping Joe away from Kelly? If you’re a fan of ghosts and demons, this is the book for you.
February 18, 2024
My English review
Mon avis en Français
I had a good time with the first volume and I had the second for years. I was in the mood for something light, even though I didn’t remember much from the first book, but I didn’t have too much trouble with it.
Nicki is finally happy until the ghost of a woman shows up and asks her to go help her daughter after a car accident. But then she discovers that the young woman she saved is none other than her twin sister. Kelly is so different from Nicki and they won’t really get along. On top of that, a creature in the shadows is determined to do everything in its power to bring down the sisters and Nicki will have to do everything to save her sister.
I read the novel quite fast and I had a good time. I was quite curious to see how our two sisters would fare. Not to be too demanding, but I will gladly read the sequel.
Mon avis en Français
I had a good time with the first volume and I had the second for years. I was in the mood for something light, even though I didn’t remember much from the first book, but I didn’t have too much trouble with it.
Nicki is finally happy until the ghost of a woman shows up and asks her to go help her daughter after a car accident. But then she discovers that the young woman she saved is none other than her twin sister. Kelly is so different from Nicki and they won’t really get along. On top of that, a creature in the shadows is determined to do everything in its power to bring down the sisters and Nicki will have to do everything to save her sister.
I read the novel quite fast and I had a good time. I was quite curious to see how our two sisters would fare. Not to be too demanding, but I will gladly read the sequel.
July 8, 2008
This is the second book in the Nicki Styx series. The ghosts are back and so is Joe, Evan and Butch. A Match Made in Hell picks up where we left off Nicki finds out that her boyfriend Joe is married to her twin sister that she never knew she had. Nicki finds out more details about her birth family than she probably wanted to know.
After attending their share of funerals, Joe, Nicki and Kelly (yes - the long lost wife and twin sister) take an unexpected trip to Savannah - "America's Most Haunted City". Before they even arrive at their destination, they meet ghost hunters who say that the Blue Dahlia is one of the most haunted places in Savannah.
The Blue Dahlia is everything and more! I really enjoyed the trouble they got themselves into and hope to see them again soon!
After attending their share of funerals, Joe, Nicki and Kelly (yes - the long lost wife and twin sister) take an unexpected trip to Savannah - "America's Most Haunted City". Before they even arrive at their destination, they meet ghost hunters who say that the Blue Dahlia is one of the most haunted places in Savannah.
The Blue Dahlia is everything and more! I really enjoyed the trouble they got themselves into and hope to see them again soon!
October 22, 2014
You know the plot; pretty young woman with great life has supernatural encounter (in this case she died) and we now have a mary sue. It isn't great literature and there isn't much about this book that makes it stand out from any of the other books like it except that I hadn't read it yet. Well, now I have - hot young woman so hot and dazzling even the devil wants her - except he doesn't sparkle. And he doesn't get her - that honor goes to the hot young doctor that declares near the end she's the 'type of girl you have fun with, not marry' but declares he loves her anyway.
June 2, 2015
The premise of this book was horrible. Nikki has a long lost twin sister that is married to her boyfriend, a cross-dressing grandfather who is posing as their grandmother, and the Devil himself is trying to sleep with her. This book was like reading a soap opera. I was actually laughing at how ridiculous the storyline was. I am giving up on this series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2018
Nicki is just getting her life on track after a near-death experience left her with the ability to communicate with spirits, when the ghost of a woman comes to her, begging Nicki to help her daughter. The spirit leads Nicki to the scene of a car accident, where a young woman hovers near death. Turns out that it's Nicki's long-lost twin sister, Kelly, and the ghost was their birth mother, Peaches.
Now Nicki is thrown for a loop again. Not only has she never met Kelly before, but her sister is still technically married to Nicki's new boyfriend, Joe. As Kelly recovers, Nicki is visited by an elderly woman, claiming to be their grandmother, who invites them to Savannah. Kelly is keen to go, and Nicki reluctantly accompanies her, along with Joe. Peaches has reappeared to her, warning Nicki that the twins will be visited by a man who will lie to them and bring great danger, and Nicki is not going to let Kelly face it alone.
Upon arriving in Savannah, however, they learn their grandmother has also passed recently. The staff left behind at the family home won't reveal any information, insisting that Nicki and Kelly will learn things on their own, assuming they have "the knack"--the family gift of psychic abilities. To shorten a long review, they encounter new people, new spirits, and the devil himself, and it's up to the sisters to stand together to save themselves and one another.
Sigh
It sounds interesting, and I suppose it was, but to me it felt less like reading a book and more like watching a soap opera. You had the long-lost twin, who's still married to the current boyfriend, long-lost family members, who may not be as lost as they seem, an evil spirit who tries to drive a wedge between Nicki and Kelly, as well as between Nicki and Joe, the devil, who wants Nicki but will settle for Kelly, and Kelly, who is acting like a rebellious teen, in that each time Nicki tries to warn her about impending doom just sneaks off to try to call spirits up on her own, resulting in one disaster after another. I wanted to punch her in the face, myself.
The story did not draw me in at all. I spent the entire time being too annoyed with most of the characters and their ridiculous behavior to enjoy it. I know I have at least one more book in this series on my shelf, and if it doesn't get any better than this, it will be the last one in this series that I read.
Now Nicki is thrown for a loop again. Not only has she never met Kelly before, but her sister is still technically married to Nicki's new boyfriend, Joe. As Kelly recovers, Nicki is visited by an elderly woman, claiming to be their grandmother, who invites them to Savannah. Kelly is keen to go, and Nicki reluctantly accompanies her, along with Joe. Peaches has reappeared to her, warning Nicki that the twins will be visited by a man who will lie to them and bring great danger, and Nicki is not going to let Kelly face it alone.
Upon arriving in Savannah, however, they learn their grandmother has also passed recently. The staff left behind at the family home won't reveal any information, insisting that Nicki and Kelly will learn things on their own, assuming they have "the knack"--the family gift of psychic abilities. To shorten a long review, they encounter new people, new spirits, and the devil himself, and it's up to the sisters to stand together to save themselves and one another.
Sigh
It sounds interesting, and I suppose it was, but to me it felt less like reading a book and more like watching a soap opera. You had the long-lost twin, who's still married to the current boyfriend, long-lost family members, who may not be as lost as they seem, an evil spirit who tries to drive a wedge between Nicki and Kelly, as well as between Nicki and Joe, the devil, who wants Nicki but will settle for Kelly, and Kelly, who is acting like a rebellious teen, in that each time Nicki tries to warn her about impending doom just sneaks off to try to call spirits up on her own, resulting in one disaster after another. I wanted to punch her in the face, myself.
The story did not draw me in at all. I spent the entire time being too annoyed with most of the characters and their ridiculous behavior to enjoy it. I know I have at least one more book in this series on my shelf, and if it doesn't get any better than this, it will be the last one in this series that I read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2020
I've had this book since 2008 but for some reason, I cannot fathom, never got around to reading it. Well, thanks to being quarantined in 2020 because of the COVID epidemic, I finally went into the back shed and dragged out a plastic tote of books. And guess what? This book was in it. Since most of the other books I'd already read, I decided to read this one.
First of all, it's not a bad book. It's not a GREAT book but the plot is interesting and the characters are fairly well written. I probably would have liked it better if I had read it in 2008 when I was 10 years younger and liked reading about erotica, but again, even those parts weren't bad.
The story consists of Nikki Styx, her boyfriend Joe, and her twin sister Kelly. Nikki was adopted and had no idea she had a twin sister but as fate would have it she saved her sister from a car accident. Nikki can talk to female ghosts and the birth mother was in the car with Kelly when it went off the road and down a hill. Kelly survived but "Peaches" didn't. Anyway ever since she had a heart attack a few years ago and came back from the dead, Nikki can see ghosts, specifically female ghosts. Her sister is her opposite, she can only see male ghosts. Oh, and Nikki's boyfriend, Joe, was also the husband of Kelly.
So, you can imagine the problems these sisters have learning about each other and putting up with each other. The ghosts add to the fun and the plot is a little thin but still enjoyable.
So, if you want a decent book to read during this quarantine, I'd recommend this one.
NOTE: this book has been republished after the author got the rights to her book back, under the name: Dead Girls Don't Tell. This is also the 2nd book of the series but the author does a pretty good job giving pertinent background details of book #1.
First of all, it's not a bad book. It's not a GREAT book but the plot is interesting and the characters are fairly well written. I probably would have liked it better if I had read it in 2008 when I was 10 years younger and liked reading about erotica, but again, even those parts weren't bad.
The story consists of Nikki Styx, her boyfriend Joe, and her twin sister Kelly. Nikki was adopted and had no idea she had a twin sister but as fate would have it she saved her sister from a car accident. Nikki can talk to female ghosts and the birth mother was in the car with Kelly when it went off the road and down a hill. Kelly survived but "Peaches" didn't. Anyway ever since she had a heart attack a few years ago and came back from the dead, Nikki can see ghosts, specifically female ghosts. Her sister is her opposite, she can only see male ghosts. Oh, and Nikki's boyfriend, Joe, was also the husband of Kelly.
So, you can imagine the problems these sisters have learning about each other and putting up with each other. The ghosts add to the fun and the plot is a little thin but still enjoyable.
So, if you want a decent book to read during this quarantine, I'd recommend this one.
NOTE: this book has been republished after the author got the rights to her book back, under the name: Dead Girls Don't Tell. This is also the 2nd book of the series but the author does a pretty good job giving pertinent background details of book #1.
August 14, 2021
Secondo volume della serie dedicata a Nicki Styx, la ragazza capace di parlare con i morti e di aiutarli nelle questioni lasciate in sospeso sulla Terra. Naturalmente questo aspetto della trama ricorda il telefilm Ghost Whisper ma la somiglianza finisce qui. Vi consiglio di leggerli in ordine di pubblicazione perché la storia si dipana libro dopo libro.
Questa volta Nicki dovrà vedersela non solo con fantasmi bisognosi del suo aiuto ma anche con misteri legati alle sue origini, al rapporto conflittuale con la sua gemella e la sua difficile situazione sentimentale.
Nicki si dimostra ancora una volta un personaggio ben descritto: impertinente, ironica, stravagante, sexy, testarda, ribelle e leale. Finalmente comincia a crescere cominciando ad abbandonare il suo comportamento antisociale per abbandonarsi all'amore. Tutti i personaggi sono interessanti e realistici.
La storia continua ad essere raccontata in prima persona dalla stessa Nicki e il risvolto romantico pur avendo il proprio spazio resta comunque in secondo piano rispetto all'attività di sensitiva e le sue questioni familiari.
E' una lettura leggera e frizzante ma che offre anche degli spunti di riflessione come la questione del libero arbitrio.
una trama intrigante e quando sembra che tutto sia scontato ecco che arriva qualche colpo di scena a sconvolgere il lettore.
Lo stile resta scorrevole e la sensualità non è troppo esplicita, lo consiglio a chi vuole trascorrere qualche ora di assoluto relax.
Questa volta Nicki dovrà vedersela non solo con fantasmi bisognosi del suo aiuto ma anche con misteri legati alle sue origini, al rapporto conflittuale con la sua gemella e la sua difficile situazione sentimentale.
Nicki si dimostra ancora una volta un personaggio ben descritto: impertinente, ironica, stravagante, sexy, testarda, ribelle e leale. Finalmente comincia a crescere cominciando ad abbandonare il suo comportamento antisociale per abbandonarsi all'amore. Tutti i personaggi sono interessanti e realistici.
La storia continua ad essere raccontata in prima persona dalla stessa Nicki e il risvolto romantico pur avendo il proprio spazio resta comunque in secondo piano rispetto all'attività di sensitiva e le sue questioni familiari.
E' una lettura leggera e frizzante ma che offre anche degli spunti di riflessione come la questione del libero arbitrio.
una trama intrigante e quando sembra che tutto sia scontato ecco che arriva qualche colpo di scena a sconvolgere il lettore.
Lo stile resta scorrevole e la sensualità non è troppo esplicita, lo consiglio a chi vuole trascorrere qualche ora di assoluto relax.
October 3, 2017
This one was more uneven. The relationship between the 2 sisters was a little more difficult to believe.
I was really unconvinced that Joe and Kelly could go from believing it was Nicki saying those horrible things, to believing she didn't, so quickly.
The characters don't seem to have any middle ground. It's either 'everything is awesome' or it's 'impossible to overcome, life shattering disaster.'
While this is common in books, especially of this type of genre, the real flaw here is that everything is fixed too quickly and easily. Within a few pages, even. I don't remember the first book being that way.
I was really unconvinced that Joe and Kelly could go from believing it was Nicki saying those horrible things, to believing she didn't, so quickly.
The characters don't seem to have any middle ground. It's either 'everything is awesome' or it's 'impossible to overcome, life shattering disaster.'
While this is common in books, especially of this type of genre, the real flaw here is that everything is fixed too quickly and easily. Within a few pages, even. I don't remember the first book being that way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2017
Con questo secondo volume,la serie è decisamente migliorata. Veniamo a conoscenza della storia familiare di Nicky e della sua sorella gemella Kelly e,anche se quest'ultima ha delle battute che non direbbero nemmeno dei bambini di 5 anni,nel complesso è curiosa ed intrigante al punto giusto.
La comparsa dell'aitante diavolo e di una delle sue anime veramente arrabbiate,rendono alla storia una buona dose di azione e il disegno che ha Satana per Nicky mi spinge a proseguire con la serie. Ho anche apprezzato il piccolo colpo di scena finale della "nonna".
La comparsa dell'aitante diavolo e di una delle sue anime veramente arrabbiate,rendono alla storia una buona dose di azione e il disegno che ha Satana per Nicky mi spinge a proseguire con la serie. Ho anche apprezzato il piccolo colpo di scena finale della "nonna".
dnf
April 13, 2020I read the first 80 pages then skimmed to the end in about an hour. I don't like either of the sisters, which was kind of point and the author gave relatively good reasons as to why they were acting they way they were, I just didn't want to spend any time with them. So I gave up, skimmed, read the happy ending and I am moving on!
December 14, 2017
I love the character of Nicki Styx and how she comes to grips with living her life while coming to terms with seeing and interacting with spirits. This book had a couple of twists that truly made it a great read.
August 24, 2025
I love romance, & paranormal romance was such a fun and exciting twist!!! Very well written! Very tempted to check out Terri's other pieces !
December 30, 2020
eXCELLENT.
September 5, 2013
This is the second book in the Nicki Styx series, and it will be the last one I read. After a sluggish first book that I was iffy on, I did start this one. Sadly, I had to force myself to finish it. This one was mired in loose ends, unbelievable connections, and a rather forced premise.
First, the plot was all over the place. Nicki has not even come to grips with her "knack" (as it's referred to in the book), but now there's long-lost twin Kelly, thrown into the mix. I get that Nicki now kinda understands the "interconnectedness" of all things during her brief stint in the light, but it was a bit of stretch that the doctor who saves her life and now wants to date her *just happens* to be married to her long-lost twin. And Nicki's reaction on the whole thing ran too long. I get it. It's a huge shock to find out you have a long-lost twin when you believed you were an only child. But it took her nearly to the end of the book to deal, and even then, I'm not sure she had. But instead of trying to work through it, Nicki's reaction was of a petulant child ... through the entire book - it became more than irritating.
Also, a theme that kept popping up was that while Nicki was adopted by loving parents, Kelly bounced from foster home to foster home and never had any one (cue sad violins) AND she was in a terrible car wreck. Since the twins were given up at birth, I have a very hard time believing that Kelly wouldn't have been adopted. And there's no real explanation as to WHY they were separated because apparently they were *supposed* to be kept together. But we're just supposed to accept that Kelly grew up in foster care and no one ever knew about her. Alright. But the whole "Feel bad for her because no one loved her" got old fast.
On top of long-lost twin Kelly (as if that wasn't enough shock to Nicki's system), biological mother enters. Bio mom prefers to be called "Peaches" - really? Peaches? There was no clear explanation as to why when her name was Lila, except references to a peach smell and lots of pink clothing. But that seemed like a stretch. Anyway, Peaches tracks down long-lost sister. Now they're both on their way to meet Nicki. Except bio mom dies in car crash first and comes to Nicki as a ghost, but because she's a newish ghost, she's confused and doesn't recognize Nicki, but knows she's dead. Again, something that's never really explained.
Then we have Bijou, the mysterious "mother" of Peaches and "grandmother" to the twins, who *just happens* to show up at Peaches funeral. The twins pay for the funeral and have Peaches buried in Atlanta because apparently there are no other relatives. Yet, someone contacts Bijou? Again, not explained how that works either. And the whole Bijou is Leonard thing - weird. And again, not really clear what the point was other than maybe an attempt to give the story yet another twist. But it failed. It didn't work and was just dumb.
But before we learn the who Bijou-Leonard scenario, enter dead rich guy and his mistress, "Psycho Blonde." We then learn that Nicki can only see female spirits and Kelly can only see male spirits. Very yin/yang. So Kelly helps dead rich guy enter the light, even though he was not a nice guy and blatantly cheated on his wife. But Psycho Blonde does not take this well because she wants/needs his soul to burn in hell, literally. So Psycho Blonde now starts popping up periodically to screw with Nicki.
Then enter Sammy, who we learn later is the Devil in disguise. He's trying to tempt Nicki to the dark side. And he'd prefer her because apparently her "knack" is stronger than Kelly's. WTF?! We went from yin/yang to yin/ya with no clear explanation on why one of the identical twins, even though they share the "knack", would be stronger or weaker than the other. The only thing I could connect was it had to do with Nicki being raised in a loving home while poor little Kelly was the orphan no one wanted.
On top of the schizophrenic plot, the characters actually got weaker and one-dimensional. Both Kelly and Nicki became 8 year olds with two modes. Angry or whiny. No depth at all. Joe might as well not even been there, and I was actually rooting for him to get in the cab. I have no idea what he would see in Nicki, because frankly she was irritating. The only half-way interesting character, Evan, dropped out of sight completely, except a few brief conversations with Nicki.
Outside of the whole good vs. evil never-ending war, I think the point was to show the larger "interconnectedness" of the world, i.e., the message Nicki got when she went into the Light. But this book failed miserably to do so. If you want to read a book that seamless interconnects seemingly random scenes/events/characters together into one fluid plot, then read Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency and leave this book on the shelf.
First, the plot was all over the place. Nicki has not even come to grips with her "knack" (as it's referred to in the book), but now there's long-lost twin Kelly, thrown into the mix. I get that Nicki now kinda understands the "interconnectedness" of all things during her brief stint in the light, but it was a bit of stretch that the doctor who saves her life and now wants to date her *just happens* to be married to her long-lost twin. And Nicki's reaction on the whole thing ran too long. I get it. It's a huge shock to find out you have a long-lost twin when you believed you were an only child. But it took her nearly to the end of the book to deal, and even then, I'm not sure she had. But instead of trying to work through it, Nicki's reaction was of a petulant child ... through the entire book - it became more than irritating.
Also, a theme that kept popping up was that while Nicki was adopted by loving parents, Kelly bounced from foster home to foster home and never had any one (cue sad violins) AND she was in a terrible car wreck. Since the twins were given up at birth, I have a very hard time believing that Kelly wouldn't have been adopted. And there's no real explanation as to WHY they were separated because apparently they were *supposed* to be kept together. But we're just supposed to accept that Kelly grew up in foster care and no one ever knew about her. Alright. But the whole "Feel bad for her because no one loved her" got old fast.
On top of long-lost twin Kelly (as if that wasn't enough shock to Nicki's system), biological mother enters. Bio mom prefers to be called "Peaches" - really? Peaches? There was no clear explanation as to why when her name was Lila, except references to a peach smell and lots of pink clothing. But that seemed like a stretch. Anyway, Peaches tracks down long-lost sister. Now they're both on their way to meet Nicki. Except bio mom dies in car crash first and comes to Nicki as a ghost, but because she's a newish ghost, she's confused and doesn't recognize Nicki, but knows she's dead. Again, something that's never really explained.
Then we have Bijou, the mysterious "mother" of Peaches and "grandmother" to the twins, who *just happens* to show up at Peaches funeral. The twins pay for the funeral and have Peaches buried in Atlanta because apparently there are no other relatives. Yet, someone contacts Bijou? Again, not explained how that works either. And the whole Bijou is Leonard thing - weird. And again, not really clear what the point was other than maybe an attempt to give the story yet another twist. But it failed. It didn't work and was just dumb.
But before we learn the who Bijou-Leonard scenario, enter dead rich guy and his mistress, "Psycho Blonde." We then learn that Nicki can only see female spirits and Kelly can only see male spirits. Very yin/yang. So Kelly helps dead rich guy enter the light, even though he was not a nice guy and blatantly cheated on his wife. But Psycho Blonde does not take this well because she wants/needs his soul to burn in hell, literally. So Psycho Blonde now starts popping up periodically to screw with Nicki.
Then enter Sammy, who we learn later is the Devil in disguise. He's trying to tempt Nicki to the dark side. And he'd prefer her because apparently her "knack" is stronger than Kelly's. WTF?! We went from yin/yang to yin/ya with no clear explanation on why one of the identical twins, even though they share the "knack", would be stronger or weaker than the other. The only thing I could connect was it had to do with Nicki being raised in a loving home while poor little Kelly was the orphan no one wanted.
On top of the schizophrenic plot, the characters actually got weaker and one-dimensional. Both Kelly and Nicki became 8 year olds with two modes. Angry or whiny. No depth at all. Joe might as well not even been there, and I was actually rooting for him to get in the cab. I have no idea what he would see in Nicki, because frankly she was irritating. The only half-way interesting character, Evan, dropped out of sight completely, except a few brief conversations with Nicki.
Outside of the whole good vs. evil never-ending war, I think the point was to show the larger "interconnectedness" of the world, i.e., the message Nicki got when she went into the Light. But this book failed miserably to do so. If you want to read a book that seamless interconnects seemingly random scenes/events/characters together into one fluid plot, then read Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency and leave this book on the shelf.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2018
You really have to suspend your disbelief with this one. Nikki finds her long lost twin sister Kelly. It turns out Kelly used to be married to Joe, Nikki's current boyfriend. WTF? And upon meeting Kelly, she invites her to move in with her. All sorts of jealousy ensues. And both Kelly and Nikki can see and communicate with ghosts. And the devil wants Nikki to be his bride. Sheer craziness.
Nikki is a cool character. Kelly is unlikeable, and Joe I am up in the air about. Fun to read if you don't mind all the coincidences.
Nikki is a cool character. Kelly is unlikeable, and Joe I am up in the air about. Fun to read if you don't mind all the coincidences.
January 14, 2013
ketemu lagi dengan nicki styx.
kali ini toko vintage nicki kedatangan "tamu" bernama lila boudreaux yang histeris meminta tolong nicki membantu mencari putrinya yg mengalami kecelakaan.
seperti biasa nicki tidak bisa diam saja....
ternyata putri lila boudreaux adalah kelly beacombe, joe's long-lost-wife-soon-to-be-ex-wife juga adalah nicki's twin sister.
maka dimulailah ajang kecemburuan nicki & kelly.
nicki yang merasa terancam dengan kehadiran kelly yang sedang terluka & berduka.
nicki bukannya ga percaya pada joe, tapi kebaikan hati joe yang ditakutkan oleh nicki.
melihat kelly yg terluka & tidak berdaya bgt pasti jiwa hero joe tidak bisa diam saja.
jadi nicki yang tadinya tidak mau berurusan dengan kelly - saudara atau bukan - terpaksa harus menerima statusnya sbg saudara kelly & menawarkan rumah untuk kelly yg sementara ini tidak punya rumah & pekerjaan.
tidak hanya menemukan kelly yg saudara kembarnya tapi juga ternyata lila yang menemuinya di toko adalah ibu kandungnya yang meninggal saat kecelakaan bersama kelly.
kelly & lila - yg lebih suka dipanggil peaches - sengaja ke atlanta untuk menemui nicki.
ternyata baik kelly maupun nicki juga punya nenek, bijou, yg tinggal di savannah.
& baik bijou, peaches bahkan kelly pun punya kekuatan yg sama spt nicki.
bedanya kelly hanya bisa melihat hantu pria sedang nicki hanya bisa melihat hantu wanita.
untuk mengetahui rahasia kenapa baik kelly maupun nicki diserahkan untuk adopsi maka mereka harus ke savannah, ke kediaman keluarga boudraux.
disana mereka lagi2 menerima berita lain.
nenek mereka ternyata adalah kakek mereka yg hidup dengan 2 identitas.
uuugghhhhh membingungkan.
banyak yg terjadi di savannah.......
nicki terperangkap dalam dilema.
the demon, sammy, ternyata menginginkan nicki menjadi miliknya.
nicki harus memilih menyerahkan jiwanya pada sammy atau menyerahkan jiwa kelly.
semua itu gara2 dulu peaches membuat perjanjian dengan sammy.
karna peaches tidak memenuhi bagian kesepakatannya maka sammy mengincar jiwa salah 1 putri peaches, walaupun sammy lebih suka memilih nicki.
tapi nicki adalah nicki, bukan gadis yang bisa diintimidari begitu saja.
semakin nicki diintimidasi semakin nicki keki & balik melototi sammy.
sammy berusaha memisahkan nicki dengan joe juga dengan kelly.
sammy berusaha menciptakan kesalahpahaman antara joe & nicki juga membuat kelly salah paham dengan nicki.
sammy juga membuat nicki terbakar api cemburu.
walaupun bgt tetap saja nicki tidak bersedia bertekuk lutut pada sammy.
nicki memang tidak akur dengan kelly yg sepertinya selalu melakukan segala sesuatu tanpa memperdulikan perkataan nicki.
kelly juga masih mencintai joe.
tapi terlepas dari itu semua, kelly adalah satu2nya saudara nicki yg tertinggal.
ngomong2 soal cemburu nih....
joe juga cemburu berat pada nicki.
joe menangkap basah "nicki" mencium spider, pria penyuka supernatural yang menyukai kelly, di dapur....tanpa menyelidiki yang sebenarnya joe langsung memutuskan hubungannya dengan nicki.
ini nih yg bikin aq ga suka.....joe saat memutuskan nicki mengeluarkan kata2 yang menyakitkan yang kalo aq duh dah ku depak jauh2.
joe mengatakan tipe wanita spt nicki hanya enak dipacari & diajak bersenang2 saja beda dengan kelly yg merupakan tipe yang pasti dinikahi para pria.
joe juga mengatakan kata2 kasar pada nicki.
herannya nicki begitu mudahnya memaafkan joe.
aq yang terlalu sinis atau bagaimana ya tapi duh aq ngerasa nicki terlalu mudah menerima permintaan maaf joe.......
uuggggghhhhhhhhhh kenapa ga memberi sedikit pelajaran pada joe????!!!!!
kalo nicki sengsara harusnya joe juga sengsara dikit donk....masa sekali bilang maaf & aku cinta padamu aja udah langsung dimaafkan???
btw, sammy the demon ternyata guantenggggg soro.....
blonde, seksi, dangerous & mempesona....plus menyukai nicki.....
alih2 harusnya membenci sammy tapi nicki justru terpesona pada sammy
siapa yg bisa membenci sammy dengan pesona sekuat itu????
kali ini toko vintage nicki kedatangan "tamu" bernama lila boudreaux yang histeris meminta tolong nicki membantu mencari putrinya yg mengalami kecelakaan.
seperti biasa nicki tidak bisa diam saja....
ternyata putri lila boudreaux adalah kelly beacombe, joe's long-lost-wife-soon-to-be-ex-wife juga adalah nicki's twin sister.
maka dimulailah ajang kecemburuan nicki & kelly.
nicki yang merasa terancam dengan kehadiran kelly yang sedang terluka & berduka.
nicki bukannya ga percaya pada joe, tapi kebaikan hati joe yang ditakutkan oleh nicki.
melihat kelly yg terluka & tidak berdaya bgt pasti jiwa hero joe tidak bisa diam saja.
jadi nicki yang tadinya tidak mau berurusan dengan kelly - saudara atau bukan - terpaksa harus menerima statusnya sbg saudara kelly & menawarkan rumah untuk kelly yg sementara ini tidak punya rumah & pekerjaan.
tidak hanya menemukan kelly yg saudara kembarnya tapi juga ternyata lila yang menemuinya di toko adalah ibu kandungnya yang meninggal saat kecelakaan bersama kelly.
kelly & lila - yg lebih suka dipanggil peaches - sengaja ke atlanta untuk menemui nicki.
ternyata baik kelly maupun nicki juga punya nenek, bijou, yg tinggal di savannah.
& baik bijou, peaches bahkan kelly pun punya kekuatan yg sama spt nicki.
bedanya kelly hanya bisa melihat hantu pria sedang nicki hanya bisa melihat hantu wanita.
untuk mengetahui rahasia kenapa baik kelly maupun nicki diserahkan untuk adopsi maka mereka harus ke savannah, ke kediaman keluarga boudraux.
disana mereka lagi2 menerima berita lain.
nenek mereka ternyata adalah kakek mereka yg hidup dengan 2 identitas.
uuugghhhhh membingungkan.
banyak yg terjadi di savannah.......
nicki terperangkap dalam dilema.
the demon, sammy, ternyata menginginkan nicki menjadi miliknya.
nicki harus memilih menyerahkan jiwanya pada sammy atau menyerahkan jiwa kelly.
semua itu gara2 dulu peaches membuat perjanjian dengan sammy.
karna peaches tidak memenuhi bagian kesepakatannya maka sammy mengincar jiwa salah 1 putri peaches, walaupun sammy lebih suka memilih nicki.
tapi nicki adalah nicki, bukan gadis yang bisa diintimidari begitu saja.
semakin nicki diintimidasi semakin nicki keki & balik melototi sammy.
sammy berusaha memisahkan nicki dengan joe juga dengan kelly.
sammy berusaha menciptakan kesalahpahaman antara joe & nicki juga membuat kelly salah paham dengan nicki.
sammy juga membuat nicki terbakar api cemburu.
walaupun bgt tetap saja nicki tidak bersedia bertekuk lutut pada sammy.
nicki memang tidak akur dengan kelly yg sepertinya selalu melakukan segala sesuatu tanpa memperdulikan perkataan nicki.
kelly juga masih mencintai joe.
tapi terlepas dari itu semua, kelly adalah satu2nya saudara nicki yg tertinggal.
ngomong2 soal cemburu nih....
joe juga cemburu berat pada nicki.
joe menangkap basah "nicki" mencium spider, pria penyuka supernatural yang menyukai kelly, di dapur....tanpa menyelidiki yang sebenarnya joe langsung memutuskan hubungannya dengan nicki.
ini nih yg bikin aq ga suka.....joe saat memutuskan nicki mengeluarkan kata2 yang menyakitkan yang kalo aq duh dah ku depak jauh2.
joe mengatakan tipe wanita spt nicki hanya enak dipacari & diajak bersenang2 saja beda dengan kelly yg merupakan tipe yang pasti dinikahi para pria.
joe juga mengatakan kata2 kasar pada nicki.
herannya nicki begitu mudahnya memaafkan joe.
aq yang terlalu sinis atau bagaimana ya tapi duh aq ngerasa nicki terlalu mudah menerima permintaan maaf joe.......
uuggggghhhhhhhhhh kenapa ga memberi sedikit pelajaran pada joe????!!!!!
kalo nicki sengsara harusnya joe juga sengsara dikit donk....masa sekali bilang maaf & aku cinta padamu aja udah langsung dimaafkan???
btw, sammy the demon ternyata guantenggggg soro.....
blonde, seksi, dangerous & mempesona....plus menyukai nicki.....
alih2 harusnya membenci sammy tapi nicki justru terpesona pada sammy
siapa yg bisa membenci sammy dengan pesona sekuat itu????
October 1, 2011
Attrazione infernale, di Terri Garey, è il secondo volume della serie urban fantasy “Nicki Styx”, irriverente ventottenne amante del vintage e con un’avversione sconfinata verso tutto ciò che è ordinario e normale.
Nicki, a seguito di un problema cardiaco, ha affrontato, neanche un mese prima, un viaggetto piuttosto turbolento verso la Luce. Per qualcuno, però, non era ancora arrivato il suo momento e di conseguenza è stata rispedita indietro con un un’esperienza pre-morte al limite del fantascientifico e con un piccolo extra: parlare con le anime dei defunti con faccende in sospeso.
In realtà, da quella che lei reputa una “pessima” esperienza, Nicki ha guadagnato anche qualcosa di bello: Joe Bascombe, suo medico e poi compagno.
La sua vita sarebbe finalmente felice con il suo fidanzato, il suo negozio di vintage, il suo socio e migliore amico gay Evan. Certo, il problema di vedere anime in giro è piuttosto rilevante, ma Nicki è testardamente coraggiosa e, quindi, nonostante gli sbuffi, non nega a nessuno il suo aiuto; nemmeno ai morti.
Il problema, purtroppo, è che per chissà quale ironia della sorte (siamo sicuri che si debba parlare di “Sorte”?) l’ex moglie di Joe – e non ancora ex fino a momento della firma dei documenti – è anche sua sorella . Gemella.
Le due ragazze sono state date in affidamento da neonate e non hanno mai saputo nulla l’una dell’altra fino a quando Joe non ha mostrato una foto a Nicki con la ragionevole certezza che si trattasse della sorella. O fino a quando una donna, Lila Bourdreaux, non decide di recarsi da Nicki in cerca di aiuto: la sua auto è finita fuori strada e sua figlia è rimasta dentro, senza aiuto! Ma come spiegare a Lila Bourdreaux che, in realtà, è morta? E come mai, sua sorella, si trova in quella macchina, in fondo ad un burrone?
E' così che si avvia questa seconda avventura di Nicki Styx. Lei, Joe e Kelly, l’ex di Joe e sua sorella gemella, nella stessa casa. Nessuno potrà dire che Nicki non soccorre chi ha bisogno di aiuto! Fare sempre agli altri ciò che vorresti sia fatto a te. Ma come far uscire la sua sanità mentale intatta da questa allucinante situazione?
Il romanzo ci conferma che l’autrice sa scrivere e che le sue idee non cesseranno mai di stupirci, pagina dopo pagina. Il suo stile è esilarante, irriverente e assolutamente “chiassoso”. Proprio come Nicki che, fra un attacco di bile nei confronti dei fantasmi maligni e un colpo di gelosia nei confronti di Kelly che continua a confonderla circa le sue intenzioni con Joe, si sentirà più volte lusingata dall’idea di farli fuori tutti. Per il bene del suo cuore difettoso, s’intende.
E se a tutto ciò ci aggiungiamo un Diavolo tentatore che non le da tregua, una ritrovata famiglia con un passato così carico di scheletri nell’armadio da spaventare chiunque e una schiera di fantasmi ben decisi a mandarla al manicomio, sembra chiaro che gli ingredienti per rendere questo libro assolutamente squisito ci sono tutti. Soprattutto se consideriamo che, finalmente, avremo tutte le risposte che cerchiamo per quanto riguarda il passato delle gemelle e il loro abbandono. Avremo le risposte a tutti i nostri “perché”.
Non mancheranno anche picchi di tensione lievemente drammatici, ma l’autrice gestisce il tutto con insolita maestria per essere alle sue prime opere. Sicuramente, viste le premesse, non tarderà a farsi una schiera di fans. Ora, però, non resta che attendere di leggere le prossime mirabolanti avventure della nostra eroina dai capelli rosa shocking.
Nicki, a seguito di un problema cardiaco, ha affrontato, neanche un mese prima, un viaggetto piuttosto turbolento verso la Luce. Per qualcuno, però, non era ancora arrivato il suo momento e di conseguenza è stata rispedita indietro con un un’esperienza pre-morte al limite del fantascientifico e con un piccolo extra: parlare con le anime dei defunti con faccende in sospeso.
In realtà, da quella che lei reputa una “pessima” esperienza, Nicki ha guadagnato anche qualcosa di bello: Joe Bascombe, suo medico e poi compagno.
La sua vita sarebbe finalmente felice con il suo fidanzato, il suo negozio di vintage, il suo socio e migliore amico gay Evan. Certo, il problema di vedere anime in giro è piuttosto rilevante, ma Nicki è testardamente coraggiosa e, quindi, nonostante gli sbuffi, non nega a nessuno il suo aiuto; nemmeno ai morti.
Il problema, purtroppo, è che per chissà quale ironia della sorte (siamo sicuri che si debba parlare di “Sorte”?) l’ex moglie di Joe – e non ancora ex fino a momento della firma dei documenti – è anche sua sorella . Gemella.
Le due ragazze sono state date in affidamento da neonate e non hanno mai saputo nulla l’una dell’altra fino a quando Joe non ha mostrato una foto a Nicki con la ragionevole certezza che si trattasse della sorella. O fino a quando una donna, Lila Bourdreaux, non decide di recarsi da Nicki in cerca di aiuto: la sua auto è finita fuori strada e sua figlia è rimasta dentro, senza aiuto! Ma come spiegare a Lila Bourdreaux che, in realtà, è morta? E come mai, sua sorella, si trova in quella macchina, in fondo ad un burrone?
E' così che si avvia questa seconda avventura di Nicki Styx. Lei, Joe e Kelly, l’ex di Joe e sua sorella gemella, nella stessa casa. Nessuno potrà dire che Nicki non soccorre chi ha bisogno di aiuto! Fare sempre agli altri ciò che vorresti sia fatto a te. Ma come far uscire la sua sanità mentale intatta da questa allucinante situazione?
Il romanzo ci conferma che l’autrice sa scrivere e che le sue idee non cesseranno mai di stupirci, pagina dopo pagina. Il suo stile è esilarante, irriverente e assolutamente “chiassoso”. Proprio come Nicki che, fra un attacco di bile nei confronti dei fantasmi maligni e un colpo di gelosia nei confronti di Kelly che continua a confonderla circa le sue intenzioni con Joe, si sentirà più volte lusingata dall’idea di farli fuori tutti. Per il bene del suo cuore difettoso, s’intende.
E se a tutto ciò ci aggiungiamo un Diavolo tentatore che non le da tregua, una ritrovata famiglia con un passato così carico di scheletri nell’armadio da spaventare chiunque e una schiera di fantasmi ben decisi a mandarla al manicomio, sembra chiaro che gli ingredienti per rendere questo libro assolutamente squisito ci sono tutti. Soprattutto se consideriamo che, finalmente, avremo tutte le risposte che cerchiamo per quanto riguarda il passato delle gemelle e il loro abbandono. Avremo le risposte a tutti i nostri “perché”.
Non mancheranno anche picchi di tensione lievemente drammatici, ma l’autrice gestisce il tutto con insolita maestria per essere alle sue prime opere. Sicuramente, viste le premesse, non tarderà a farsi una schiera di fans. Ora, però, non resta che attendere di leggere le prossime mirabolanti avventure della nostra eroina dai capelli rosa shocking.
January 27, 2016
Nikki Styx had died, then come back to life. Doing so has caused her to see ghosts who continually want her to do things for them. Her boyfriend is waiting to hear from his hopefully soon-to-be ex-wife who might possibly be Nikki's sister.
The first ghost to appear asks Nikki's help to find her daughter who was in a car accident with her. Nikki does, but the woman turns out to be her boyfriend's (current) wife.
The ghost who came to Nikki turns out to be the ghost of her mother. Nikki and her sister don't get along well.
Things get more complicated when her sister sees Albert (of the first book), but she doesn't know that he is dead. Then her mother appears again to Nikki and warns her about some guy coming to get her and Kelly, her sister. Nikki encounters the female ghost of a dead guy, and she wants certain things; Kelly encounters a male ghost who also wants certain things.
Peach's ghost appears to Nikki again, and at the funeral a woman claiming to be their grandmother tells Nikki and Kelly they need to come with her for training.
Kelly (who really has a very nasty personality and simply will not listen to anything anyone wants to say that goes against what she wants to do) wants Nikki to go with her on some kind of trip to supposedly save Peach's ghost.
There's also some guy following Nikki around.
Within a very short time after arriving in Savannah, Nikki meets a female ghost from the time of the Civil War.
The woman ghost (Psycho Barbie), Nikki has named her, has set up with the Devil and plans to take either Nikki's or Kelly's soul.
The Devil appears again to Nikki. He wants her. Or Kelly.
A quite bothersome thing with this novel is the character of Kelly. She acts utterly stupid. She refuses to listen to anything Nikki says, convenient overlooking the fact that Nikki is the experienced one. Kelly acts in such a completely stupid manner (especially considering the danger that they are both can get in because of her actions), that the reader has no sympathy for Kelly at all. She's a totally annoying character who hurts the story, rather than helps it.
Her character and he attitude got so annoying that, a number of times, I almost stopped reading the book because of it, but forced myself to continue.
Later. I've finished the first 14 out of 24 chapters. I am so sick of Kelly's obstinate personality that I'm am putting the book up for a while. I'll read a few others, and then force myself to get back to this one.
Joe leaves Nikki after Psycho Barbie pulls one of her stunts. Later Nikki meets a ghost of a young girl. Later Nikki's grandmother's ghost shows up. She tells Nikki that she has to help Kelly become strong enough to resist the Devil.
Nikki finds out some dark secrets about her mother, and Kelly undergoes a rather massive change of attitude (a little unbelievable, actually). They end up having to take on the Devil himself, and end up getting some help from a guy in drag.
This book has none of the humor that is in the first book. It's deadly serious. Kelly's semi-temporary conversion to intelligence is too convenient. I basically feel that I pretty much wasted my time reading it.
The first ghost to appear asks Nikki's help to find her daughter who was in a car accident with her. Nikki does, but the woman turns out to be her boyfriend's (current) wife.
The ghost who came to Nikki turns out to be the ghost of her mother. Nikki and her sister don't get along well.
Things get more complicated when her sister sees Albert (of the first book), but she doesn't know that he is dead. Then her mother appears again to Nikki and warns her about some guy coming to get her and Kelly, her sister. Nikki encounters the female ghost of a dead guy, and she wants certain things; Kelly encounters a male ghost who also wants certain things.
Peach's ghost appears to Nikki again, and at the funeral a woman claiming to be their grandmother tells Nikki and Kelly they need to come with her for training.
Kelly (who really has a very nasty personality and simply will not listen to anything anyone wants to say that goes against what she wants to do) wants Nikki to go with her on some kind of trip to supposedly save Peach's ghost.
There's also some guy following Nikki around.
Within a very short time after arriving in Savannah, Nikki meets a female ghost from the time of the Civil War.
The woman ghost (Psycho Barbie), Nikki has named her, has set up with the Devil and plans to take either Nikki's or Kelly's soul.
The Devil appears again to Nikki. He wants her. Or Kelly.
A quite bothersome thing with this novel is the character of Kelly. She acts utterly stupid. She refuses to listen to anything Nikki says, convenient overlooking the fact that Nikki is the experienced one. Kelly acts in such a completely stupid manner (especially considering the danger that they are both can get in because of her actions), that the reader has no sympathy for Kelly at all. She's a totally annoying character who hurts the story, rather than helps it.
Her character and he attitude got so annoying that, a number of times, I almost stopped reading the book because of it, but forced myself to continue.
Later. I've finished the first 14 out of 24 chapters. I am so sick of Kelly's obstinate personality that I'm am putting the book up for a while. I'll read a few others, and then force myself to get back to this one.
Joe leaves Nikki after Psycho Barbie pulls one of her stunts. Later Nikki meets a ghost of a young girl. Later Nikki's grandmother's ghost shows up. She tells Nikki that she has to help Kelly become strong enough to resist the Devil.
Nikki finds out some dark secrets about her mother, and Kelly undergoes a rather massive change of attitude (a little unbelievable, actually). They end up having to take on the Devil himself, and end up getting some help from a guy in drag.
This book has none of the humor that is in the first book. It's deadly serious. Kelly's semi-temporary conversion to intelligence is too convenient. I basically feel that I pretty much wasted my time reading it.
October 29, 2010
*Spoiler Alert- If you haven’t read Dead Girls Are Easy this review will probably contain spoilers for you.*
Nicki Styx is a hot 29 year-old vintage goth girl with a drop dead gorgeous doctor for a boyfriend and an unknown twin sister, who owns her own vintage clothing store with her gay best friend…and sees dead people.
In this sequel to Dead Girls Are Easy, Nicki encounters a ghost that leads to her twin sister Kelly. She, a bit reluctantly, agrees to take Kelly in and help her with her recovery from a bad accident that also killed their biological mother and get to know her sister better along the way. Nicki has diffidently met her match with Kelly and you question whether or not their relationship is going to turn out good or if they’ll end up trying to kill each other, which I guess is true sisterly form. LoL (I did find Kelly a bit annoying and a major guilt trip; I could see why Nicki was getting fed up.)
Insecure in her relationship with Joe now that Kelly is back Nicki goes through a lot of ups & downs about what she wants in her life. How do you deal with your long-lost twin sister being your new boyfriends ex-wife? I’d feel like beating my head against the wall too!
Then while at a Halloween party Nicki meets the hotter then Hell, literally, Sammy who afterwards keeps popping up in her life and in inappropriate dreams. ;)
Nick, Joe and Kelly later travel to the family’s haunted house Savannah to find out more of their heritage and encounter another wicked spirit, a woman in drag and the Devil himself.
IMO this book is a little more serious then the previous one but what I said with Dead Girls Are Easy goes for A Match Made In Hell as well; Light and humorous with a dark edge. There are a lot of ups & downs and twists & turns in the plot that will have you laughing and crying with the characters.
With Kelly and a few other tangles that get knotted into their relationship, Nicki and Joe have an obstacle course thrown at them in this book and your heart breaks wondering if they are going to make it through together.
You get to delve deeper into Nicki’s character as well, which just wraps her around your heart more.
A Match Made In Hell is filled with thrills & chills, mystery & suspense and believable characters that will grab at you from the first pages. Also, very interesting and unexpected twists at the end that will have you doing a double take.
♥♥♥♥ - Really Liked It
Can be read as a stand alone but def. better as a series! This is a series that you won't be able to put down!
Nicki Styx is a hot 29 year-old vintage goth girl with a drop dead gorgeous doctor for a boyfriend and an unknown twin sister, who owns her own vintage clothing store with her gay best friend…and sees dead people.
In this sequel to Dead Girls Are Easy, Nicki encounters a ghost that leads to her twin sister Kelly. She, a bit reluctantly, agrees to take Kelly in and help her with her recovery from a bad accident that also killed their biological mother and get to know her sister better along the way. Nicki has diffidently met her match with Kelly and you question whether or not their relationship is going to turn out good or if they’ll end up trying to kill each other, which I guess is true sisterly form. LoL (I did find Kelly a bit annoying and a major guilt trip; I could see why Nicki was getting fed up.)
Insecure in her relationship with Joe now that Kelly is back Nicki goes through a lot of ups & downs about what she wants in her life. How do you deal with your long-lost twin sister being your new boyfriends ex-wife? I’d feel like beating my head against the wall too!
Then while at a Halloween party Nicki meets the hotter then Hell, literally, Sammy who afterwards keeps popping up in her life and in inappropriate dreams. ;)
Nick, Joe and Kelly later travel to the family’s haunted house Savannah to find out more of their heritage and encounter another wicked spirit, a woman in drag and the Devil himself.
IMO this book is a little more serious then the previous one but what I said with Dead Girls Are Easy goes for A Match Made In Hell as well; Light and humorous with a dark edge. There are a lot of ups & downs and twists & turns in the plot that will have you laughing and crying with the characters.
With Kelly and a few other tangles that get knotted into their relationship, Nicki and Joe have an obstacle course thrown at them in this book and your heart breaks wondering if they are going to make it through together.
You get to delve deeper into Nicki’s character as well, which just wraps her around your heart more.
A Match Made In Hell is filled with thrills & chills, mystery & suspense and believable characters that will grab at you from the first pages. Also, very interesting and unexpected twists at the end that will have you doing a double take.
♥♥♥♥ - Really Liked It
Can be read as a stand alone but def. better as a series! This is a series that you won't be able to put down!
December 10, 2012
The NICKI STYX series somehow always manages to pull me back into the plot and story itself with renewed interest towards the end after a slow, trek through the beginning and middle.
A MATCH MADE IN HELL was certainly different from DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY with the addition of Nicki’s twin sister, Kelly; who is also Joe’s not quite ex-wife.
As you can image, the jealousy scale is outrages as Nicki and Kelly, who are pretty much complete opposites, try to find a relationship with each other while dealing with their ‘gift’, which they have two totally opposite ways of going about it.
Their reunion isn’t a happy one as a ghost leads Nicki to the site of the crash that took her life. Only once Joe arrives on the scene does he pronounce her the wife he hasn’t quite divorced yet, which makes the injured woman, Nicki’s twin. On top of that, the ghost turns out to be the mother who gave them both up, who was on the way with Kelly to meet Nicki.
The death of their mother, Lilah or ‘Peaches’ as she was known leads them to Savannah, where they were supposed to learn more about their past. Of course they also end up in more trouble than they bargained for.
The devil’s after them and he’s not playing fair. Having read Garey’s other series THE DEVILS’ BARGAIN first, it is nice seeing the back and forth bickers between Nicki and Sammy that is mentioned in that series.
Fear for Kelly, who seems more susceptible to Sammy’s tricks, Nicki is put into tight situations as she tries to protect her that push their new relationship along with her relationship with Joe near their limits.
In the end, they manage to believe in each other and defeat Sammy, for now, and learn about their past that eluded them.
Although not one of my favorite series, there is definitely something about these books that keep me coming back.
I really hope the plot with Kelly finds a smoother place in Nicki’s world. Their meeting sure brought out the worst in both of them for most of this book.
A MATCH MADE IN HELL was certainly different from DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY with the addition of Nicki’s twin sister, Kelly; who is also Joe’s not quite ex-wife.
As you can image, the jealousy scale is outrages as Nicki and Kelly, who are pretty much complete opposites, try to find a relationship with each other while dealing with their ‘gift’, which they have two totally opposite ways of going about it.
Their reunion isn’t a happy one as a ghost leads Nicki to the site of the crash that took her life. Only once Joe arrives on the scene does he pronounce her the wife he hasn’t quite divorced yet, which makes the injured woman, Nicki’s twin. On top of that, the ghost turns out to be the mother who gave them both up, who was on the way with Kelly to meet Nicki.
The death of their mother, Lilah or ‘Peaches’ as she was known leads them to Savannah, where they were supposed to learn more about their past. Of course they also end up in more trouble than they bargained for.
The devil’s after them and he’s not playing fair. Having read Garey’s other series THE DEVILS’ BARGAIN first, it is nice seeing the back and forth bickers between Nicki and Sammy that is mentioned in that series.
Fear for Kelly, who seems more susceptible to Sammy’s tricks, Nicki is put into tight situations as she tries to protect her that push their new relationship along with her relationship with Joe near their limits.
In the end, they manage to believe in each other and defeat Sammy, for now, and learn about their past that eluded them.
Although not one of my favorite series, there is definitely something about these books that keep me coming back.
I really hope the plot with Kelly finds a smoother place in Nicki’s world. Their meeting sure brought out the worst in both of them for most of this book.
August 21, 2011
My Review:
This book had one basic problem for me...too much Kelly and not enough Joe. Kelly is Nicki's long-lost twin sister. Like Nicki, she sees dead people. Although she is the more plain, boring twin, she has a fascination with the supernatural and the occult. This leaves her more open for corruption.
Kelly's character bugged the heck out of me. She simply refused to acknowledge the possible danger in the things that she is messing with. Between that and the fact that she was bi-polar in the way that she would be nice to Nicki one minute and then pick at Nicki's insecurities about Joe the next...it drove me nuts. I did not like her character at all. Unfortunately, in this book, Kelli's character was the main drive behind the story line instead of Joe so she had LOTS of time in the book. This definitely hurt my overall rating for this book.
One thing that did make me happy was the appearance of Sammy, the Devil. The whole reason that I picked up this series was because of how much I loved him in the book Devil Without a Cause and he mentioned Nicki Styx a lot in that book. He had a minor part in this book, but I know that is going to grow over the rest of the series.
While this book wasn't as good as book #1 in this series (in my personal opinion,) I am still enjoying the series and think that it's a winner as far as series go. There was a lot more to do with family in this book, and not so much about the other characters in this book that made the first book such a winner...like Evan, whom we barely saw at all in this book. Now that the family issues are somewhat settled, I think that the next two books will go back to more of the first book's format with Kelly being more of a side character...at least that is my hope. We will see as book #3 is on the agenda for today...
This book had one basic problem for me...too much Kelly and not enough Joe. Kelly is Nicki's long-lost twin sister. Like Nicki, she sees dead people. Although she is the more plain, boring twin, she has a fascination with the supernatural and the occult. This leaves her more open for corruption.
Kelly's character bugged the heck out of me. She simply refused to acknowledge the possible danger in the things that she is messing with. Between that and the fact that she was bi-polar in the way that she would be nice to Nicki one minute and then pick at Nicki's insecurities about Joe the next...it drove me nuts. I did not like her character at all. Unfortunately, in this book, Kelli's character was the main drive behind the story line instead of Joe so she had LOTS of time in the book. This definitely hurt my overall rating for this book.
One thing that did make me happy was the appearance of Sammy, the Devil. The whole reason that I picked up this series was because of how much I loved him in the book Devil Without a Cause and he mentioned Nicki Styx a lot in that book. He had a minor part in this book, but I know that is going to grow over the rest of the series.
While this book wasn't as good as book #1 in this series (in my personal opinion,) I am still enjoying the series and think that it's a winner as far as series go. There was a lot more to do with family in this book, and not so much about the other characters in this book that made the first book such a winner...like Evan, whom we barely saw at all in this book. Now that the family issues are somewhat settled, I think that the next two books will go back to more of the first book's format with Kelly being more of a side character...at least that is my hope. We will see as book #3 is on the agenda for today...
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